Health Matters: Blue Babies

It’s a frightening image for any parent. Health experts at Lee Memorial Health System say blue baby syndrome can happen from birth until the child is two months old.

In 2013, Florida law required all newborns to be screened for critical congenital heart failure. Health experts say if it is not caught in time, the baby could experience cardiac arrest.

According to Dr. Eric Eason, pediatric cardiologist at Golisano Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida, minutes after birth, the baby should develop a pink pigment. “Sometimes you will see a little blueness around the lips or around the finger tips but if the entire baby has a dusky blue color that is not normal.

Dr. Eason says the blue color indicates the baby’s blood cells are not getting oxygen appropriately. “Usually this happens when there’s critical congenital heart defect, where the anatomy of the heart prevents blood from going to the lungs appropriately.”

If this happens while the baby is still in the hospital experts will immediately run tests to determine what’s causing the baby to be blue. “We do a few tests to determine if this is a lung problem or a heart problem” said Dr. Eason.

There are times where the symptoms occur after the baby leaves the hospital.

“In the first days and weeks of life there are certain vessels that close, and they may be vessels that the baby needs to stay alive and get appropriate oxygen levels. When that happens, that’s when a critical event could happen at home” said Dr. Eason.

He says the baby will show signs, like fast breathing, sweating during feeding, and have a dusky blue color. “This will usually require some type of intervention whether immediately in the first weeks of life or something where we can wait later on and treat on an elected basis” said Dr. Eason.